IC contact for wethelost

[devoutish]

Solomons & Melborn
1108 Sweet Cream Street

[Feel free to use this space for letter/package deliveries as well as visits/knocks on the front door!]

Comments

[bywolves]

[ There's a little pang of longing that he feels whenever someone talks about their parents like this, but Royce ignores it as usual. ]

Merrick taught me. [ He runs his fingers along the surface of the water. ] We visited a few different cities on the coast. A tour, basically.

[devoutish]

Yeah? Was it fun; did you enjoy it?

[bywolves]

Yeah. [ He smiles a little. ] We drank. A lot. In places we weren't supposed to be.

[devoutish]

[He floats a little closer to shore.]

Such as?

[bywolves]

The roof of a Church of Nyphron. [ Royce isn't really a swimmer, so he just sort of stands in the water, enjoying it. ]

In a back-alley gambling den in Wesbaden. We were almost thrown in prison, for that one.

[devoutish]

A gambling den. Maybe you'd like London after all, eh?

[He gestures for the wine bottle. Just float it over to him, Royce.]

[bywolves]

I was much younger and much more willing to do whatever Merrick wanted. [ Royce points out. A beat, and then: ] You're not actually going to swim and drink.

[devoutish]

I'm not gonna swim and get drunk. I'll be fine.

[bywolves]

[ Royce wrinkles his nose, but - okay. He makes his way out of the water enough to grab the bottle, and then reaches out to hand it to Alfie. ]

[devoutish]

Thanks, mate. You're not gonna come float?

[bywolves]

No. [ Royce says, settling down close to the shore. He's in the water, sitting in it. ] I told you I'm not really a swimmer.

[ He can be convinced, though. ]

[devoutish]

You don't have to swim to float. You're halfway there already.

[bywolves]

I'm in the water, Solomons, you should be thankful for this much.

[devoutish]

[Alfie splashes a hand through the water, aiming at him. Revenge for that time at the ocean.]

[bywolves]

[ Wow! Royce splutters a bit because the water gets him in the face, and then, because he's a mature adult, kicks his foot out to splash in Alfie's direction. ]

[devoutish]

[He doesn't bother to dodge.]

Oi! Careful of the wine.

[bywolves]

It's sealed, it's not going to hurt it. [ Royce says, pushing his half-wet hair out of his face. ]

[devoutish]

Not anymore, it's not.

[He pops the bottle open and takes a swig from it.]

Should've brought wine glasses. For your sensibilities.

[bywolves]

[ Royce rolls his eyes. ]

Just because I don't drink whiskey from the bottle... [ Grouch grouch. But it's playful grouching. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie chuckles, and floats the bottle back to him.]

Tell me about the gambling dens. Did you like them at the time?

[bywolves]

[ He takes that bottle, and he drinks from it but it's more like sipping than swigging. ]

Mm. I did. [ Royce tilts his head back a bit. ] I lived off of uncertainty, back then. I had a stable base to fall back on, so I took risks because I could, for the first time, rather than because I had to.

Gambling was a good way to do that.

[devoutish]

I've always liked that myself. The thrill. It's part of what I like about the job at home.

[bywolves]

Mm. [ Royce takes another sip. ] It's what I liked about the Black Diamond. And to an extent, Riyria.

[devoutish]

You think you'll be able to give it up for good?

[bywolves]

I'm going to have to. [ He takes another sip, and then floats the bottle back out to Alfie. ] Can't exactly steal things when you're king.

[ Ugh. ]